Time Stands Still
by Opaaru Tsuki
Summary: Konoha shinobi are some of the best, but in perfecting shinobi there are always a few that come out a little too dangerous, a litle too unstable. An old experiment is awake. Konoha must tame it or face war unprepared. NON YAOI! Lee/OC Gai/Shizune Ten/Neji
1. Prisoner Theta

_A/N: Woo it's been a while since I've written anything, hope this doesn't kill anyone's brain cells! .;;;_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kotetsu, or Izumo or ANY of the rawkawesome ninja's taken from the anime. I DO own a pair of socks and a kitten named Mister Bigglesworth. Hee... now where was I? OH YEAH! Go read my fic dammit! _ *shakefist*_

~o~o~o~o~o~

**Chapter 1 - Prisoner Theta**

Deep beneath the bowels of Konoha's Hokage tower there lays a network of corridors. Within these dark (and often dank) rooms, ancient secrets sleep: weathered scrolls, shinobi weapons exuding grim chakra, stone tablets... In one of these dimly lit rooms, something resembling a stone coffin stood and was watched over by a single guard. At a quick glance, a shinobi would find the block of stone was as menacing as a half-eaten sandwich. But then, the watch shifts were rarely short and the flickering torchlight's played tricks on even the most experienced minds...

"Oi, Kotetsu, your shift is up. Kotetsu? Yo! Wake up!" scowled a tall dark haired chunin with a bandana-like hitai-ate. His dark brown bangs covered up his left eye.

"Fnk- Wha-? Izumo? What time is it? Is my shift over?" the drowsy man asked as he stretched. A bandage drooped across his face and over his nose. Wild jagged hair peeked from beneath his hitai-ate.

"Yes, though I doubt you did any guarding and... is that a soda can?" Izumo's eye twitched as he spotted an empty bag of chips and other assorted litter. "COULD YOU AT LEAST PRETEND YOU'RE NOT SLACKING OFF?"

"It's a three ton piece of rock, I think it's safe from being stolen," he grunted and was quickly bonked with an empty can.

"That's not the point. We were assigned to guard this sarcophagus. It could be dangerous in the wrong hands!"

"Aw lay off Izumo. No one knows what half the crap down here is for. Hell, since Danzo died, no one's bothered to come check up on this stuff at all."

Izumo sighed and shook his head. His partner had a point, but that didn't mean he was going to let him off the hook. He turned to glance at the stone block in the center of the room and noticed _someone_ had thrown an old blanket over it.

"Why is there a ratty blanket over the sarcophagus?"

"'Cause the thing gives me the willies that's why," the other chunin replied as he began to clean up after himself, "just look at it."

"You know Kotetsu, whoever's in there has probably been dead for a very long time," came the teasing drawl as he pulled off the blanket.

"Just LOOK at it!" the now fully awakened guard snapped.

Izumo stared at the smooth black granite slab before him. It was cool to the touch and had been polished so that it reflected the room almost like a mirror. It was then that the chunin realized what was wrong. The room was reflected perfectly, from the flickering torch to the leftover garbage from Kitts's snacking, every detail relayed back perfectly except for the two men in the room. All at once, Izumo felt something cold creep into his heart, as if the inky stone were reaching out to devour him. He took an involuntary step back as the feeling grew stronger. The shadows within the reflection warped and twisted like the coils of a snake.

"Creepy, isn't it?" Kotetsu cut into his thoughts and thus breaking the unnerving spell, "You can stare all you want at it, even touch it, but you'll never see it reflect a living thing. It scares the beheebies out of everything, even the rats stay away."

Izumo nodded silently before turning away. "There must be some sort of genjutsu on it."

"Yeah well, all _**I**_ know is that you and that box are gonna be keeping each other company for the next shift," Kotetsu smirked and brazenly gave the black stone a pat. "Have fun!"

Suddenly, three heavy bangs were heard coming from within the sarcophagus.

"What did you do?" demanded Izumo as his partner darted away from the block as if he had been burned.

"Nothing!"

Muffled scraping, as if that of turning gears soon filled the room and trails of iridescent chakra skirted along the surface of the stone.

"YOU DID SOMETHING NOW WHAT THE HELL WAS IT!" he demanded gripping Kotetsu by the flak jacket.

"I didn't do anything!" the chunin insisted as he ducked away from Izumo's grip.

The sounds grew louder as the chakra finally collected around the hidden seams and the lid began to slide open. A cold fog seeped out from the dark recesses of the coffin and yellow eyes slowly opened.

"Stay where you are!" Izumo ordered as he and Kotetsu took a fighting stance blocking the exit.

_**"What year is it...? What village is this...?" **_a whisper of a voice asked.

The two men glanced at each other slightly puzzled as to how to proceed.

"You are a under the jurisdiction of Konoha," Izumo stated warily.

_**"I see... so some part did survive the war..." **_the creature murmured.

There was protocol for what to do when a dangerous weapon self-activated; however, no one had ever told them what to do when said weapon failed to attack.

"What are you?" Kotetsu asked as he noticed that whatever was in there appeared to be quite small.

"You have been deemed dangerous. Under order of the Hokage, you are classified as a prisoner and qualify for interrogation," Izumo continued glaring at his partner for the impertinent question.

_**"I am... your prisoner...?" **_

"Yes, will you cooperate?" he asked as Kotetsu fingered several shiruken in preparation of a fight.

_**"I am you prisoner...?"**_

"Yes."

_**"By order of the Hokage...?"**_

"Yes, I have said that already. Now will you cooperate?" impatience began to taint his words.

A second pair of eyes opened and stared at Izumo. They were set higher up than the first and were the dark burgundy color of aged wine.

_**"Only if you tell me... what my name is..."**_

"What?"

_**"What is my name?"**_

Both chunin froze in place, none of them knew what the creature in the coffin was, much less what its name was. After a few moments of silence, Kotetsu spoke up.

"We don't know your name. It was not deemed essential with our mission."

_**"Hn. Well then... I'd like you to tell Danzo... I don't speak to his dogs..."**_ There was a blur and suddenly Kotetsu was thrown out of the room and into the corridor.

"Kotetsu!" Izumo called out. The yellow eyes had moved, now they peered at him from the black corridor. There was the light clink of chains as the crimson eyes approached the remaining shinobi.

_**"You are about to have a very bad day... now... run."**_

The chunin wasted no time in going through his seals.

"Mizu no Juts-" there was a flash of gold and azure chakra that rippled out of the coffin and struck Izumo squarely in the chest. The man stumbled back as the attack disrupted his chakra and cut off his attack. He glanced down and saw a long ebony hair stick with a crystal dangling at its end. "What are you?"

_**"I said 'run'... it's not fun if you don't..."**_

There was a growl to his left and he saw the gold eyes narrow before the creature leapt at him.

.

.

.

A/N Woo there you go! It's over! Love it? Hated? Bored to tears? Lemme know and REVIEW! Do it! It's better than crack to me! *grin grin*


	2. Sugar Plum

**Chapter 2 - Sugar Plum**

Tsunade sighed as she sat behind her desk. She wished she were at a bar, or idly losing all her money instead of sifting through tall stacks of paper. Alas, Shizune had locked the door and had ANBU at every window to ensure she did not escape. Almond eyes stared at the neat stacks with a blank expression. The imprisoned Hokage wondered why anyone in their right mind would want her job. True, the position was at times an exciting one filled with days of battling to protect Konoha. War created misery and pain, yet she knew first hand there was no other adrenalin high like it. However, some times... scratch that, MOST of the times, it was nothing but shoveling through an endless stream of paperwork generated by the aftermath of a fight. Most shinobi reaped the benefits of a well-fought battle. However, after the initial fear wore off, everyone in the village and their mother decided to swamp the Hokage's office with requests.

Previous Hokage had coped with the monotony in different ways: meditation, yoga, a good book, even the occasional pipe to ease the flow of time. Tsunade had her own method of sorts: she drank. A lot. The way she figured, the only time she ever got to herself was when she ditched the paperwork. It was hard enough to smuggle a decent drink into the Hokage tower, but it was getting damn near impossible to squeeze in some gambling into her schedule. At this rate she'd have her debts paid off in no time and THEN where would she be? Uptight, boring and all… _responsible_. The thought alone made her shudder.

And so, the sulky and unbearably sober Sanin launched into an all out staring contest with the papers in front of her for a few hours to kill some time. Right around the time where the Godaime felt like slamming her head on her desk for a change of pace, the entire tower shook with a low rumble. Tsunade turned towards the double doors leading to the corridor. Beyond the lacquered panels she heard muffles cries and the sound of running. Another spasm struck the building and this time her tall stacks of paper flowed off her desk like a sad little waterfall.

"SHIZUNE! What's going on!" she yelled slamming her hands down and bolting to her feet.

"Tsunade-sama, I-I don't know," the younger brunette replied, "an alarm has been triggered in one of the vaults, the tower has been sealed and ANBU is- TSUNADE-SAMA! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

But by the time Shizune had finished explaining about the vaults, the Hokage had all but darted out of the door. Of course, the Sanin was worried about the safety of Konoha (and all that jazz). However, there was the distinct feeling she was simply using the emergency as an opportunity to play hooky. The entire tower had been mobilized to intercept any threat and prevent it from leaving the vault chambers. Tsunade noticed a few ANBU operatives as well as off duty jonin were blocking the entrance to the staircase leading to the underground rooms.

"You there! What's going on?" she demanded of a cat-masked ANBU.

"The alarm was triggered in vault Theta."

"Who was on duty down there? Where are they now?" she asked sounding off questions with the pace and effect of a machine gun.

"Chunin are normally dispatched to guard the vaults. Kamizuki Izumo had gone into the vault to relieve Hagane Kotetsu. They never emerged. One of them must have tripped the alarm before becoming... incapacitated."

"What about the chunin in the other vaults?" Tsunade asked as a hushed murmur ran through the group, "Any of them made it out?"

"None, Tsunade-sama."

"What was kept in that vault?" Kurenai asked worriedly.

"I... do not have that information," the ANBU replied.

"Don't we keep reports on forbidden artifacts?" Tsunade growled impatiently.

"It was a stone block," replied a voice.

From behind the crowd, Genma stepped forward. He twirled his senbon between his thumb and forefinger in a nervous manner.

"No one ever said what was in it, Hokage-sama, only that... the thing was creepy."

"Well thank you Genma, now we know that we're looking for something 'creepy'," the Hokage drawled sarcastically. "Anyone get a good look at the thing that got out?"

"Uh, no..." Genma muttered, "It doused all the lights before we got halfway down the stairs."

Tsunade sighed and clenched her jaw. Finally she turned to the assembled jonin, "Gai and all ANBU follow me. Kurenai, cover this exit with the rest. Don't let anything out."

"If I may, Hokage-sama, I wish to join you," Sai replied as he stepped forward.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Tsunade replied but was quickly cut off by a green blur that darted to the chunin's side.

"Ah the impulsiveness of youth! Surely you wish to avenge your comrades! Such actions are most youthful! You will join us in our mission to purge evil from our midst!" the taijutsu master bellowed, "The flames of youth burn bright in his eyes! Come and our flames shall consume all that oppose us!"

Gai struck his signature pose as Sai's blank emotionless stare flickered to the Hokage and back at the green-clad man. If anything, the stoic shinobi's eyes were colder than year-old ashes. Tsunade felt a headache coming on.

"Fine! If it'll shut you up, Gai, he can come along. But you better keep up kid!"

"YOSH! Onward my young friend! TO VICTORY!" the jonin declared as he drew out a kunai and pointed at the doorway.

"CHOTTO MATTE TSUNADE-SAMA!" an all too familiar voice called out 'causing the Hokage to wince as if she were a child caught playing in the rain. Shizune stumbled towards them with her arms filled with scrolls. "I found out what was in that vault. It was a little difficult since Danzo had most records burned, but I've had these on my desk for a while. I was getting around to cataloging all the-"

"GET TO THE POINT SHIZUNE!" the Sanin barked irritably.

"A-anou... what was in that stone block is not a what, but a who. Tsunade-sama, have you heard of the Aida Chambers?"

There was a clatter as a kunai slipped from Gai's fingers. The jonin had an uncharacteristically troubled expression on his face.

"Aida Chambers? That's impossible," the Hokage shook her head.

"Who's in there? Who survived?" Gai asked with a voice drained of the usual enthusiam and passion.

"Anou, the scroll doesn't say Gai-san," Shizune replied apologetically, "the name is a sort of codeword for the one in the chamber to tell if they'd fallen into enemy hands. Unfortunately, Sandaime-sama was the only one who knew the name."

"We have our work cut out for us. Any thoughts?" Tsunade asked.

The heavy doors leading to the vaults below opened and the shinobi were greeted by inky darkness.

"I regret not bringing Neiji along," Gai muttered as they entered.

"How comforting, Gai-san," Sai said with a mirthless smile.

* * *

Gold eyes wandered through the dark corridors fading and reappearing at various spots. All around, bodies lay on the ground deathly still. The eyes narrowed as they skirted and paced around the fallen chunin impatiently. They had all been too easy prey, perhaps it was time to go up into the surface. _It seemed like ages since I've seen the sun... I want to feel the wind..._ A nearly silent footstep caught the creature's attention.

_**"Who are you?"**_ it asked with a slight hiss.

"I am the Hokage of Konoha," Tsunade stated as she lit a torch and raised it to shed some light in the corridor. Sai and Gai flanked her on both sides. The ANBU operatives were nowhere in sight.

The creature hissed and stepped back into the shadows. Tsunade stiffened slightly as she saw the bodies all around. She slowly knelt down and felt for a pulse on the nearest man. Almond eyes narrowed as she found none. It was the same with several more she tried. They were all dead. "Why are you attacking us?"

_**"You are not Sarutobi-sama,"**_ the airy voice growled.

"The Sandaime has died, I have taken his place."

_**"Dead?" **_the creature seemed stunned by the news.

"Why have you killed my men?"

_**"And Minato-san?" **_the voice insisted obviously ignoring the question. _**"Where is Minato-san?"**_

"The Yondaime was killed off by the Kyuubi almost two decades ago."

_**"Also dead..."**_

"You have been in an Aida chamber for a long time," the Hokage explained hoping that whatever had awoken was reasonable, though the bodies hinted otherwise, "we mean you no harm."

_**"You couldn't harm me if you tried, not if these men are what you pass off as Chunin... you are no threat to me,"**_ it retorted contemptuously.

Gai was the one who spoke up next. "Then why did you kill them?" he demanded enraged. A dangerous sort of fire flickered in his eyes. "If they posed no threat to you why did you attack them?"

The gold eyes blinked lazily pondering the question for a moment before replying honestly, _**"I was bored."**_

"WHY? What purpose could that have achieved?" Gai bellowed, "I knew one of your clan years ago, and it was not like this! Your clan was honorable, not this murderous-"

"Gai, enough," Tsunade ordered giving him a piercing glare. The green-clad jonin fell silent though his fists were clenched by his side. The woman then turned to the bright gaze in the darkness, "We will not allow you to endanger the people of Konoha."

_**"Then unless you know my name we have nothing else to speak of..."**_

"You have been in stasis for far too long. Your name is no longer in our records."

_**"Excuses!" **_the eyes narrowed and darted towards the group.

"NOW!" the Hokage yelled.

"Sumi nagashi! (Ink Flush!)" Sai called out and inky tendrils reached out to capture the attacker.

"YOSH!" Gai moved with blinding speed and punched his fist though the inky binding jutsu aiming for the creature's head... and fell straight through. He recovered his balance but not before getting a faceful of ink.

_**"Idiots... Doton: Retsudo Tensho! (Earth Style: Earthquake Slam!) " **_the eyes flickered above the group just as the floor beneath them and the walls themselves spiraled inward and attempted to crush them.

Tsunade swore loudly before running deeper into the corridor, the other two shinobi hot on her heels. The walls seemed to curve towards them as they ran past. Iron rebar splintered through some cracks, but as a whole, the corridor did not collapse. After what seemed like an eternity, the loud rumbles caused by the jutsu finally ceased.

"No way back," Sai stated coolly as he crouched down and poked at the liquified earth just beyond the spot their feet with an ink brush.

"We're not going back until we've stopped this thing," Tsunade scowled before turning to Gai, "and what the hell was that about knowing someone from this clan? DIDN'T I ASK FOR INFORMATION BEFORE WE CAME DOWN HERE?"

The taijutsu master rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced up at the ceiling.

"It was a long time ago, when I was a genin," he replied.

"Then it really must have been quite some time ago," Sai stated after which the jonin's expression resembled that of a kicked puppy.

"Ah, what cruelty is this? Are the flames of my youth dimming so suddenly?" he struck a dramatic pose with tears falling from his eyes, "Have I outlived the springtime of youth? Am I in winter's unforgiving clasp? HOW CAN THIS BE?"

"Oi! Gai! Don't get off the subject!" Tsunade interrupted snapping her fingers to get his attention. Immediately the jonin composed himself.

"When I was just out of the academy, one of the genin's clan was said to hibernate in stone coffins. I never asked and for the most part I thought it was just a story," he continued, "we were good friends but... funny, I can't seem to remember the clan's name."

Sai opened his mouth to state something about aging and memory loss but the Hokage raised a finger indicating he should stop.

"You can state the obvious once we're out of this mess," she told the chunin sternly, "now come on, the vault is this way, maybe we can get some information from the Aida Chamber."

Much to the trio's chagrin, a cell of ANBU had already found said vault and were now littered across the floor. Tsunade fought the urge to punch something. The darkness was grating on her nerves and the increasing casualties only added to her feeling of helplessness.

_**"Like mice in a maze..."**_ a quiet voice murmured from within the stone sarcofagus. _**"What a disappointment you've been. Tell me, if I kill you, does that make me the Hokage?"**_

"Someone like you, could never be the Hokage," Gai spat at the creature.

Burgundy eyes opened within the stone chamber and stared at the jonin.

_**"Oh? And what's wrong with me?"**_

"Your cruelty, and bloodshed is the opposite of what being the Hokage stands for," he replied keeping his eyes level with the glowing stare, "to attack unprovoked, there is nothing uglier or more dishonorable than that. It is an act that must be punished!"

The eyes stared at him a while longer before crinkling in a smile. Tsunade glanced at Sai and almost immediately he obeyed the silent order. With a flick of his wrist he released a blank scroll. With blinding speed he drew a trio of lions which leapt off the page and attacked.

_**"Kowaii,"**_ the hidden enemy replied unemotionally as iridescent chakra rippled within the coffin. The sound of metal emitted from the shadows before four long chains spilled out and skewered the lions in mid-leap. Instantly the chains retracted and there was a low hiss from the doorway. The trio was suddenly trapped between sets of gold and wine-colored eyes. _**"Check mate, it's been fun. But now, I want to see the sky again..."**_

Slowly the creature in the Aida Chamber walked out into the torchlight. Tsunade did not know what to expect, but she braced for the worst. To survive in an Aida Chamber one required the appropriate bloodline plus certain certain genetic grafts which tended to turn the shinobi into a twisted mutation of itself. This particular specimen seemed to have been split into two entities. Tsunade made a fist and poured chakra into her hands as Gai took on a fighting stance. They were going to break a few bones today and not all of them would belong to the enemy.

The air was thick with tension as, from within the sarcofagus, a little girl in chains stepped out. Tsunade and Gai stared in disbelief. The child looked no older than seven or eight years old and wore a long white gown that appeared to be several sizes too large. Her shoulder-length hair was silver with violet roots. The child looked completely harmless, only her startling lavender eyes gave the feeling that something was amiss.

"Sumi nagashi! (Ink Flush!)" Sai's voice cut off their silent assesments. Once more ribbons of ink jutted out and attempted to capture their small enemy.

Small hands formed a dragon seal. "Kuronus no Jutsu: Zenhan Tate (Chronos Style: First-half Shield)."

The ink attack collided with an iridescent soap bubble-like shield and burst into a puff of black dust. Sai's eyes slightly narrowed as his attack was cancelled out. There was a growl from the gold eyes behind the shinobi as chakra began to pool around the hidden creature.

"Yaku...kudasai. (Burn... please)" the girl whispered as the corner of her lips twitched in a faint grin.

Small embers flitted around the gold eyes hypnotically before a blast of flames lashed out at the trio. Tsunade wasted no time and slammed her fist down into the ground. A slab of stone instantly jutted out though the cracked floor and blocked the inferno. Red hot ashes filled the air as some of the rafters caught on fire.

"We're trapped," Sai pointed before turning to the girl. "And now, so are you. You're very stupid to have cornered yourself in this manner."

He deaftly painted snakes upon his scroll which slithered out and surrounded the girl. She replied merely by raising her right hand. A chakra infused chain rose from the ground like a cobra and struck down the snakes. The metal moved too quickly to be percieved and then suddenly appeared around Sai's throat.

"I've decided I don't like you..." she informed him as the fingers on her extended right hand slowly curled into a fist. The chain constricted cutting off Sai's air supply.

"Sai! Let him go!" Tsunade yelled out grabbing at the chain and attempting to break it with her bare hands, but the metal remained locked around the chunin's neck. Another chain wrapped appeared around Tsunade's ankle and yanked her away from the boy. It roughly pulled her aside and pinned her leg to the far wall.

"Not before I muzzle this dog, he reeks of Danzo," the girl replied with a dark glare. "When I was a student, sensei taught us how to hold our tongues. Slow learners had theirs cut out..."

There was the sound of scraping metal as Sai's blade was slowly being removed from its sheath by invisible hands. The young man's face was becoming quite blue.

"GAI STOP HER!" Tsunade ordered as she began hacking at the metal restraints around her leg.

"It's horrible isn't it?" the girl asked the chunin, "You want it so badly. All your life, you've taken it for granted. Air would always fill your lungs because it must. Such an unimportant and common thing. You've never once valued it; never once thought about it... until now that your life is draining away. Life is the only thing that matters. Without it... your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations... they're dust. Friendships, intelligence, wealth... all the causes of your arrogance you would trade for a single... puff... of dusty air..."

"Ume-chan, yamero kudasai (please stop)..." Gai whispered hoarsely. His face was contorted somewhere between sadness and horror.

The chain around Sai's neck slackened ever so slightly, and the child turned to face him. His hands were clenched in trembing fists at his side as if it were taking an unusual amount of control just to stand there.

"What did you call me?" she asked as the shield around her flickered and vanished.

Gai gave the girl a hearbroken look as he approached her. "It's you isn't it? Ume-chan."

"I- who are you?" the girl looked up at the man with a puzzled on her face. His face the riddiculous green outfit and bowl haircut... it all seemed so familiar, yet this person was a stranger to her.

"Daijobou Ume-chan, you can stop now. I don't know what they did to you, but you can stop," he replied sofly as one would to a frightened animal. He placed a hand atop her violet tinted hair, "we're not your enemies, you're safe Ume-chan. I promise."

"I know you," she murmured as she struggled to recognize the man before her.

"Hai, it was a long time ago," Gai replied giving her a watery smile, "I think you've gotten younger, where as I..."

"I don't remember," she stated dully as she stared at the man in green spandex with a blank look on her face, "but if you know my name, then this must mean we won."

She waved her hand dismissively. The chains around Sai and Tsunade slackened before falling to the ground. The chunin gasped for breath as Tsunade stood up glaring murderously at the uppity little pipsqueak that was going to get a whupin'. She rolled up her sleeve as she formed a fist and stormed up to Ume like a lioness on a rampage.

"Um... hi," she blinked owlishly at the enraged Hokage and was imediately socked upside the head. A little chibi-body flew through the air with loose chains trailing after her and landed inside the stone coffin with an audible 'whap'.

"...ow..."

"Tsunade-sama!" Gai exclaimed horrified, "You cannot strike her in such a manner! It's child abuse!"

"Yeah well the little brat had it coming," she snarled, "and that's just for the stunt she pulled on us. Don't forget all the dead Chunin out there. There's still going to be hell to pay for that!"

"Tch, how did such a senile old hag like you get to be Hokage?" Ume retorted as she rubbed her head and glared daggers at Tsunade.

"Oh I'm going to pummel you into next WEEK! C'MERE YOU LITTLE-!"

"Tsunade-sama! Yamero!" Gai intercepted the Hokage and attempted to restrain her, which was amazingly difficult even for him.

"Hokage-sama is right, though. Many have died today, she will have to answer for her crimes," Sai rasped out softly and clearly kept his distance. A pale hand covered the red welt encircling his neck.

"I have awakened to a world of idiots. Tokemasu! (Dissolve!)" she called out. All at once the rubble and flames vanished.

"Genjutsu?" Gai asked as he saw the flames and smoke die off.

"You're too easy," Ume smirked glancing at him from the corner of her eye before forming a series of seals. "Kuronus no Jutsu: Koohan Akeru (Chronos Style: Second Half Unlock)."

The torches all lit up once more and filled the room with light. With a grating thump the floor became leveled, the cracked concrete smoothed, and the room became intact. A streak of cream and brown darted in from the doorway and into Ume's arms. It was a small seal-point siamese cat with bright blue eyes. It mewled curiously as it strained it's neck to get a better look at the shinobi it had attacked only moments before.

"Anything else you want to bitch about?" Ume asked the currently silent Hokage.

Tsunade spun around to land the impudent child in a world of pain but stopped mid stride when the room seemed to shimmer. For only a fraction of a second, veins of chakra became visible before vanishing with a soft 'pop'. At that percise moment, the 'deceased' ANBU on the ground moaned and stirred.

"What...? How?" Tsunade breathed unable to believe that the men now sitting up were very obviously dead a minute ago.

"If I explained it, your brain would explode," was Ume's snarky reply which was followed by, "then again, I'll explain later."

Tsunade's eyes glanced all around attempting to dissect what had just occurred. Genjutsu with flames was one thing, but it would take more than that to fool her into mistaking a perfectly live person for a dead one.

"Ume-san, it's very unbecoming of a young lady to be rude," Gai tsked.

"Unbecoming?" the girl asked tilting her head thoughtfully, "Grandma here and her little 'farm-girl pony-tails' look, is unbecoming. A midriff blouse on a teenage boy, is unbecoming. Compared to that, I think we can take a little rudeness."

"Ume-san! Apologize to the Hokage at once! I will not tolerate this un-youthful behavior!"

"She punched me into a coffin!" the girl whined.

"And I'll do it again if you don't shut it!" Tsunade snarled brandishing her fist.

There was a pause as Ume was effectively silenced by the intimidating power of Tsunade's balled up fist. It didn't last long...

"My shirt... is unbecoming?" Sai asked and there was slightest hint of worry tainting his voice.

"And a little gay to be honest," the girl stated.

"UME!" Gai snapped.

The girl burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of them. The cat in her arms seemed to roll its eyes as it hopped off and sauntered over to the taijutsu master. Ume's laughter caught the attention of all the revived shinobi.

"Hee-hee. This was fun," she finally sighed in the aftermath of her laughter, "should do it again sometime... oyasumi minna..."

With that the girl's eyes slid shut and she collapsed on the stone floor. Tsunade and Gai quickly knelt beside the child to see what was the matter. Well, Tsunade at least attempted to diagnose the problem. Gai began yelling 'UME' at the top of his lungs until the Sanin ordered him to stop under penalty of outlawing green spandex. When it became obvious the girl wasn't going to wake up, the Hokage decided a trip to the hospital was due. She ordered Gai to transport her there which got him out of her hair and allowed her to avoid questions from the other operatives. She didn't have the answers to most of those questions anyway.

"Hokage-sama, was she the threat?" the cat-masked ANBU asked slowly approaching his leader as they climbed up the stairs.

"More of a pest than a threat," Tsunade frowned though the Hokage clearly knew she was understating the child's potential, "she was inside the stone block which was protected by strong genjutsu. Gai-san and myself found a way to deactivate it."

That was the story and she was sticking to it... for now. With that she left them to fill out their reports and departed to her office. A trip to the bar was a must. Ah yes, nothing like a celebration drink to clear up her mood. All she had to do is get rid of the pesky ANBU that were bound to follow her up and she was free! The woman pushed open the double doors to her office with a grin. Said grin soon faded once she saw the Konoha Council waiting for her.

"Tsunade, we need to talk," a gravelly old voice called out to her.

The Sanin could've punched through a wall in that moment. It took a good chunk of her self control not to have a tantrum.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Your impulsiveness once again has gotten the better of you," Koharu frowned, "but at the very least, it has not gotten you killed."

"I didn't see any instructions laid out for a battle plan ahead of time, though I'm told we had one and the records were destroyed," Tsunade countered shutting the doors behind her and having a seat at her desk.

"Of course they were destroyed! The information was too dangerous! You have no idea what you blindly stumbled into," Homura snapped.

"And yet, you two know exactly what's going on. I'm the Hokage but you two didn't think it important to at least give me a name for what we keep down there?"

"Keep your voice down," Koharu replied.

"What else are you keeping from me?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she steepled her fingers together. There was a long silence as if both parties were sizing each other up.

"To be honest, we had hoped Ume had simply died," Homura finally answered, "few people survive an Aida Chamber for a month much less 16 years."

Tsunade exhaled at the figure, "She's been in stasis for 16 years?"

"More or less. How did she seem?" Koharu asked, "Is she sane?"

"The brat is annoying, but yes, she seemed sane enough."

"Don't let her appearance fool you. Ume is no child," the old woman stated coldly.

"Then I don't have to feel guilty about punching her," Tsunade stated simply.

"You struck her?" Homura asked clearly disturbed by the fact.

"I did mention she was a brat, correct?"

"Yes, that little plum has always been a sweet one," Koharu drawled sarcastically.

"She didn't seem to like Danzo much," the Hokage informed them.

"I would imagine not, she tried to kill him last time they met," Homura snorted.

"Won't she be disappointed to hear someone beat her to it. But enough pleasantries, you're not telling me anything I don't already know," the Hokage stated leaning back in her seat, "tell me about her jutsu."

"Ah, of course. THAT is going to take a while," Koharu replied coolly.

"I'm not going anywhere, start talking," Tsunade motioned to the seats before her desk.

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_**A/N And so the first of many badly-written chaps begins! Or was that the second... oh wells. Also for those of you wondering Ume = Plum hence the title "Sugar Plum". See? My insanity makes sense! I gots no reviews... plz review? Pretty please with a candy coated Gaara on top?**_


	3. To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

**Chapter 3 - To Sleep, Perchance to Dream**

_"To die, to sleep_  
_No more – and by a sleep to say we end_  
_The heartache and the thousand natural shocks_  
_That flesh is heir to – 'tis a consummation_  
_Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep_  
_To sleep, perchance to dream."_

_-Hamlet, William Shakespeare_

Tsunade tapped a perfectly manicured fingernail against her desk impatiently. Three days had passed since Ume had emerged from the Aida Chamber stored in vault Theta. Three days since she had massacred every Chunin and ANBU in the vicinity, while almost adding a Hokage to the list. Three days since the girl had defied the laws of reality and restored the damage created by her antics with a wave of her hand. In that time the Council had deemed themselves ready to inform Tsunade of something they had been dreading for years.

Chocolate eyes flickered to the medical report on her desk. Given her newfound knowledge she would prefer to treat Ume personally, alas her responsibilities did not allow for that. In her absence, Shizune and Sakura had been keeping tabs on the girl. The strange child was still out cold and showed no signs of waking up in the near future. Every time they ran tests the results were contradictory. Were it any other medical-nin Tsunade would have blamed the anomalies on incompetence. As it stood, the Hokage knew there were few people in the world with Shizune's skill or Sakura's cunning. Still, the child was suffering from acute exhaustion, while her chakra levels were through the roof. Her body was healthy and showed no signs of strain, yet her brain patterns indicated critical levels of fatigue. And so, the girl who had been dormant for over a decade, slept on in the restricted wing of the hospital.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples they had a lot of work ahead of them. Maybe it was a good time to retire. Surely she'd paid her dues to the village by now... A quiet knock at the door pulled her out of her musings. Moments afterward, Shizune slipped in, closing the doors behind her.

"Any change?" the Hokage asked all the while knowing the answer just by the slump of Shizune's shoulders.

"No change Tsunade-sama," the jonin shook her head, "she is in stable condition, but her body is completely shut down. I brought some scans you might want to see."

She placed a manila file on the Hokage's desk and the older woman quickly flipped it open. Though she expected as much, Tsunade couldn't help but flinch at the image of Ume's inner workings.

"They're obvious signs of tissue grafting," Shizune wrung her hands beneath her long sleeves, "but for it to be this extensive, and to leave no visible scars, internal or otherwise... I don't know what to make of it."

"She was genetically enhanced during gestation, possibly before," Tsunade explained after studying the scans, "Clans often pair up their skilled members to refine their bloodline limit in the next generation. Others graft necessary equipment into their offspring. A few splice a child's genetic material. The mortality rate of spliced children is about 96%. I'm willing to bet Ume was not the first try."

"Is it done often?" Shizune asked with a frown.

"It's difficult to tell. Orochimaru went through several subjects before he was stopped. Some of the ones who survived looked no different from before. Then again, he was working with children whose organ systems had already been developed. Whoever enhanced Ume did so from scratch. This sort of genetic tampering would need constant monitoring and care during the development stages. As the brain matured changes to her structure would have been triggered. It looks very complex, but it helped to have parents' consent."

"Someone agreed to do this? But the slightest error and they could've given birth to a monster," she frowned incredulously and visibly disturbed by her sensei's deductions, "And all that for a 4% chance of success. Who would do that to their own child?"

"They number in the thousands," the Hokage replied grimly before closing the file in her hand and glancing up at her apprentice, "is everyone here?"

"Yes, they're waiting outside as you ordered," the younger jonin nodded, "shall I let them in?"

Tsunade sighed and nodded as she took a moment to compose her thoughts. Outside a group of jonin stood waiting to enter the Hokage's office. They had been summoned from their various tasks and missions due to their elite status and experience. Hatake Kakashi was among them taking advantage of the respite between missions by catching up on his latest book. Maito Gai had also been summoned. He was currently cutting into Kakashi's reading time by challenging the masked shinobi to a guessing game and being very loud about his youthful superiority. Hyuga Hiashi and Kurenai were there as well. The latter observed the two 'rivals' with a mildly amused look in her crimson eyes. Just as the calm sharingan user looked up to stare at Gai in mild irritation, the double doors opened and Shizune allowed them in.

"We will continue this afterwards!" Gai vowed, "Worthy rival though you may be, YOU will not best me again! THE FLAMES OF MY YOUTH SHALL PREVAIL!"

Everyone present ignored his outburst as the medic closed the door behind them. Shizune idly wondered if Gai ever felt embarrassment. Surely there were better ways to get attention than cavorting around in a jumpsuit. Personally, the young woman had never been very bold to begin with. She was more than happy to melt into the background and let someone else take the reigns. That had been one of the many things Tsunade has attempted to train (read: beat) out of her. As a result, she was more assertive now and nowhere near the shy genin she'd once been. However, looking at Gai, she couldn't help but think there had to be a limit and it lay some miles before green spandex and bellows of "youth".

"Thank you for coming," Tsunade's voice snapped the young woman out of her thoughts and back to the present, "before I begin I want you to be aware that what we are about to discuss is an S-class secret. Needless to say, it is not something to be mentioned outside these walls. I have called you all here because you are specialists in the fields of Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu. Several of you are also intimately familiar with bloodline limits. As you may have already known, three days ago a stasis chamber became active in the vaults beneath this tower. Inside was a young girl that had been placed in hibernation 16 years ago. Unfortunately, all public records we have of her existence and that of her clan have been destroyed purposely or otherwise. Bottom line is, we have very little personal information about her, or the full extent of her abilities."

The Hokage steepled her fingers as she rested her elbows on her desk. The whole matter was complicated and she had a hard time coming to terms with a few of the details.

"Her clan's name was erased from Konoha's archives, but Sandaime left a written record for future Hokage to reference. Most of the matter concerns the head of their clan. A man by the name of Kaika..."

She brought out a weathered journal and opened it to reveal a familiar script. On the yellowed pages of the book, Sandaime's neat lettering stood out as if he'd written them in yesterday. Tsunade had read the pages repeatedly in an attempt to wrap her head around the implications of the words. Rather than explain the matter herself, she chose to read from the passages directly. After all, Sandaime knew what he was talking about:

_"Around the time Konoha was founded, Kaika's clan was renowned for the quality of their medical-nin. Their bloodline limit specialized in stabilizing potentially lethal wounds using what could only be described as a time field. Thus, when a shinobi was injured without hope of recovering in the battlefield, one of Kaika's clan could place one of these time fields around the shinobi and effectively stabilize them until proper medical care could be administered. During the war they saved hundreds of lives, and when Konoha came to be, they expected their medical-nin to join the ranks of the elite. Unfortunately, medical shinobi were not as valued then as they are now. Their jutsu was specialized for healing not combat; because of this, the other clans viewed their shinobi as inferior. In order to avoid what the First Hokage saw as a trivial conflict, shinobi from Kaika's clan were not allowed to become Jonin without acquiring Jonin-level __**combat **__skills. This rendered their bloodline limit and jutsu as worthless in determining their merit as shinobi. Kaika and his clan took the decision personally and initially they withdrew from Konoha's medical staff, thus isolating themselves to their own clan compound._

_Yet, even though Kaika's pride was wounded, he was immensely practical. And so, it was he who convinced the other members of his clan to return to their responsibilities while he worked to create a solution to their dilemma. From that moment on, Kaika labored to refine their bloodline limit. At first he began experimenting with the very young but then he developed an interest in the unborn children of his clan. With time, he expanded the capacity of their time field jutsu and created at least six forbidden techniques that we know of. The raw power he unleashed with his tampering of their genetics was astounding, but the price was high. Out of all the children born in that generation, only one survived the splicing. The rest were too mutated or deformed to survive past a few weeks. However, this did not deter him, and in the second generation, he engineered each child from the very first cell. Every child yet to be born into the clan underwent treatment in Kaika's clinic. Again, the skill and abilities of each child were unsurpassed by any youth in the village. And once more, it came at a heavy price. Out of sixty children only three made it past infancy._

_By this time the Hokage had begun to take notice. Though he confronted Kaika on various occasions, the medic-nin dismissed his words as ones fueled by the jealousy of rival clans. Moreover, Kaika reminded the Hokage that his decision to exclude his clan's talents sparked the quest to repurpose a healing tool into a weapon of combat. The Shodai was as much to blame as Kaika himself._

_As for the clan, they had no qualms about Kaika's research and readily supplied him with new subjects. This complacency with the medic's methods, paired with clan politics, prevented any outside interference. If Senju-sama had taken steps to stop the man's experiments, he would have been accused of meddling in clan affairs. There was little the Shodai could do except monitor their activities to ensure humane treatment of the test subjects._

_Kaika had begun working on the third generation of children when the Meiko Incident occurred. After the death of Senju Hashirama, Nidaime established the Chunin exam. As the clan's second generation prodigies came of age, they enrolled in what was to be the fifth exam hosted by Konoha. They had trained directly under Kaika as a three man cell, each developing his own lethal combination of techniques. They stepped into the exams with the burden of knowing that all of Konoha thought them inferior. Their clan had been disgraced and humiliated by the very people who owed their lives to them. A dark fire had sparked within their hearts, and consumed their thoughts in smoldering hatred. By the time exam was done, all the opposing genin had been slaughtered, not even those of Konoha had been spared. Uchiha, Aburame, Shikamaru, Inuzuka, and countless others, genius and hard-working alike were cut down before their time. The terrible power of those three genin had been unleashed with untempered brutality and they were only children. _

_Kaika had given the order to exterminate the weaker genin as a way of humiliating Konoha. The very jutsu that had saved their lives in the past was the same one they had discredited and tossed aside as worthless. And it was this same jutsu that now reaped their future leaders in one fell swoop._

_Under the circumstances, none of Kaika's children were qualified to become Chunin, but with the First Shinobi War thundering towards them, the village could not afford to offend the clan of healers once more. However, the other villagers were angry and resentful after losing their genin, if Kaika's prodigies were rewarded, a civil war would erupt and weaken Konoha's defenses. Caught between two swords, the Hokage met with Kaika to arrange a deal. From this, the Aida Chambers were created._

_The solution was a simple one: First, the three children of the clan who had been enhanced for combat by Kaika would each sleep within one of these chambers. They would be kept out of time until the war had passed. When the trio awoke, they would be given full jonin status. Second, Kaika's experiments had to end, and in exchange, the village would give his clan the status they so desired._

_At first, Kaika refused. In his eyes, the culmination of his life's work would come in the third generation of modifications. But after his clan's long struggle to prove themselves, they were growing tired of losing so many children to botched splicing. With the Hokage's offer they sensed victory was near. Pressured by his clan, Kaika accepted and personally oversaw the construction of each chamber._

_The war came and went, reaping many lives as it passed including that of Nidaime. In the vacuum of power after the war, Kaika's clan was not forgotten. With the village crippled and battle scarred, many remembered the murdered genin. If the three sleeping shinobi were to awaken, Kaika's clan would have the power to subdue all the others. As one entity, the leaderless village rose up against their would-be oppressors and systematically eradicated every man, woman, and child, but Kaika and his Aida Chambers survived._

_The medical-nin had foreseen what he perceived to be Konoha's betrayal and planned accordingly. Now old and bitter, Kaika was too weak to topple the united village, but he devised an alternative. If he could not destroy Konoha, he would ensure they never had a moment of peace. Taking the three Aida Chambers, he auctioned them off to the highest bidders, each one an enemy of the village. _

_Before he could deliver the first of the chambers, ANBU located his hideout. Though it was not ordered by the Hokage, the three Aida Chambers were deactivated, instantly killing the shinobi within. Amid the struggle that ensued Kaika also forfeit his life. But just as Konoha had gone back on its word, Kaika had not stopped his research all those years. Deep within the man's laboratory a fourth Aida Chamber was found. Before he'd been discovered, Kaika had managed to produce a third generation enhancement. The last and perhaps most destructive weapon of Kaika's clan was a child no more than six months old. Her name was Ume._

_ANBU took Kaika's research records and the child to the Hokage. She was allowed to grow within Konoha so as to instill her with a sense of loyalty to the village. Her origin and ninjutsu was kept secret; her clan was erased from all records and effectively forgotten by the village. I would like to think she was happy._

_In the years that followed, the Konoha council learned that Kaika had built at least four other Aida Chambers that were unaccounted for. Though the reports lacked any physical evidence, the council grew worried over the possibility of fractions from Kaika's clan emerging from Aida Chambers some time in the future. It was decided that, as a preventive measure, Ume would be locked away in the last known Aida Chamber deep within the vaults of the Hokage tower. Should another chamber be activated outside of the tower, the chakra it released would cause Ume to awaken." _

Tsunade closed the journal and looked up at the carefully neutral expressions greeting her. There was more written within the journal, but it was mostly technical instructions on what to do once Ume was awakened... instructions that would have been useful three days ago.

"After reviewing the security footage from the vaults with the council, they informed me that the Aida Chamber had been calibrated by the Sandaime to protect Ume. Unfortunately, this same process has wiped all memories. When we encountered her, she had no way of confirming out intentions. We failed to follow the correct protocol and it resulted in a fight. Thankfully Gai-san knew the girl and was able to stop her attacks."

"You know her?" Kakashi asked tilting his head curiously.

"I _knew_ her," Gai muttered furrowing his brow, "at least, I remember bits and pieces. We used to train together for the Chunin exams. I was told she had died in a kyubi attack. I'd forgotten about her until someone mentioned the Aida Chambers. I remembered her name once I saw her again."

"You forgot about her? It doesn't sound as if she made much of an impression if you didn't even remember her name," the sharingan user pointed out and his rival shot him a dark glance.

Still, Kakashi had a point. The green-clad man felt Ume had been someone important. As one of his precious persons, Gai would have at least remembered having mourned her death. Instead, he had only scattered memories behind a name and a face. It was so unlike him to be so distant; to be so... cold.

"You are all here, because the council has deduced that an unfriendly Aida Chamber has been activated," Tsunade interjected, "Ume is technically considered a genin by Konoha standards. She is therefore under the authority and protection of this village. Her clan, on the other hand, is highly dangerous and hostile."

"If we are to fight someone of this clan, it might be useful to study the girl's jutsu," Hiashi stated his pearl-colored eyes staring directly at the Hokage, "by watching her and observing her weaknesses we could find a way to counteract the jutsu. If not, then it might suit to follow the Sandaime's advice. It's obvious he meant to use the girl to protect the village."

"She is a child, Hyuga-sama, not a weapon," Kurenai frowned disapprovingly.

"She was placed in sleep as a weapon for Konoha," the older man replied calmly, "perhaps it was a cruelty, but such is her fate."

"If we treat her as a weapon, it won't be long until her clan turns her against Konoha," the crimson-eyed kunoichi stated.

"Ume wouldn't betray Konoha," Gai protested with inexplicable conviction.

"We have a limited amount of time; it's no use arguing amongst ourselves," Kakashi sighed, "if she has no memories from the time before, she will be scared and alone. Once she comes to terms with that, we can isolate her and attempt to control every subversive thought inside her, or we can give her a place among us here in the village."

"How can you be sure of that Kakashi?" Tsunade asked coolly.

"Simple, I have trained genin fueled by the desire to prove their worth. Surely Hyuga-san knows that it is better to fight for a cause one believes in rather than fight because you are ordered to," the masked shinobi smiled.

The head of the Hyuga family averted his eyes.

"Then it's settled," Tsunade smiled, "one of you will train Ume."

"Anou, Tsunade-sama, perhaps we should think about this for a moment," Shizune fretted, "she took out an entire team of ANBU, that level of power isn't one of a genin."

"Naruto defeated Akatsuki and last I checked, he is only a genin," the Hokage replied flippantly before smiling craftily, "besides, the Chunin Exams are a few months from now. There should be plenty of time for her to prove herself by then, don't you agree?"

"I...suppose..." Shizune hesitated.

"So all we have to discuss is which one of you it will be," the older woman cut in her eyes sparkling with hidden mischief.

* * *

In the restricted wing of Konoha's Hospital, Ume slept peacefully. Beside the bed on a plastic chair, her feline companion was curled up. The hospital staff had attempted to prevent the kitten from remaining by Ume's side. Half a dozen maulings and one heavily charred gurney later, the orderlies changed their minds and allowed the animal to stay... just this once.

The small girl remained oblivious of her surroundings even as the midday sun cast a warm glow on her pale face. A cool breeze slipped past the curtains and made the kitten stretch and purr contentedly. Meanwhile, Ume's mind was a flurry of hazy images and half forgotten memories.

_She was standing in a clearing. Shuriken and kunai lay scattered over the grass in the aftermath of a training session. A boy about twelve or thirteen was standing in front of her breathing heavily but smiling. He had dark hair, and even darker eyes beneath thick lashes. He gave her a thousand watt smile and his lips moved, but the words were lost to her. She felt herself laugh before giving him a thumbs-up. The memory wavered before dissolving like dandelion fluff._

_Ume was on her back staring at the billions of stars overhead. Beside her the same boy was reaching out his hands towards the glittering dots. His lips were moving fast and there was a bright fire reflected in his eyes. To one side there was a camp fire and beyond that, her team mates slept. It was her first mission._

_" We'll do it together... touch the stars..."_

_Once again the memory dissolved and was replaced by another. There was devastation everywhere. Somewhere behind her a fire roared out of control. She was afraid and wounded as she stumbled away from the inferno. A kunai suddenly struck where her hand had been only nanoseconds before. A lone figure towered over her. An enemy had survived and was now poised to strike. She closed her eyes waiting for a blow that never came. A streak of green sped out of the trees and struck the man repeatedly. She blinked and looked up at the same boy standing between her and the attacker._

_"...will always protect... Ume-chan... precious to me..." his voice was as fragmented as Ume's memory._

_She reached out to touch the boy but he vanished as if he were made of mist and the scenery shifted. She was in a sort of playground. The sun was setting in the east and it tinted the sky a blood red. She sat on a swing and the boy was on the ground next to her, he looked troubled._

_"You are leaving? Why? We promised each other we'd take the Chunin Exams together," he protested._

_"I'll come back, it's only training. Hokage-sama said I need special training to perfect my ninjutsu," she replied quietly._

_"Then I'm coming too!"_

_"No, you have to pass that Exam."_

_The boy jumped to his feet. "Not without you! I gave you my word we would both pass and we will, together! If I can't go with you then I'll...I'll wait until you return!"_

_Ume stood and cupped her hands around his face. His face was set in steely determination, and though her conscious self hesitated, her dream persona spoke fluidly._

_"Listen to me. I don't know how long this training will take, and I'll be damned if I let you waste any time moping around here when you could be doing so much more," she scolded him though her tone was gentle, "I want you to pass that exam so when I come back you can brag to me about how easy it was. Got that?"_

_The boy's features scrunched and, for a moment, he looked heartbroken but it passed quickly and was replaced with the same up-beat smile._

_"Yosh, I will Ume-chan. You'll see when you come back. I'll be the top Chunin in the village!"_

_She then hugged him tightly. Her heart ached and she felt a deep bond with this boy. An emotion she couldn't quite name filled her chest._

_"Hai, you'll be the best," she whispered to him, "I promise, I'll train and become strong for Konoha, but I'll come back for you. No matter how long it takes. I swear I'll come back for you."_

_The dream then withered and Ume was alone. A dim pulse of chakra encroached all around her body and cold chains restrained her. She was in the Aida Chamber, they were activating it from the outside and she was silently praying for something she could not quite remember. Before she could grasp it, someone flipped the switch and she was locked in eternal darkness._

_**"I'll come back for you... no matter how long it takes..."**_

Ume slowly awoke and she felt tears brimming in her eyes. She sat up and stared at her hands as the crystal drops fell onto the covers on her lap. Her heart felt as if was being squeezed, but she didn't know why. There was a shuffling sound and her kitten hopped onto the bed. Bright blue eyes looked up at her coolly as the cat's tail swished impatiently. The stare's meaning was clear: this was not the time to mope about feeling sorry for herself. She had to get up and assess the situation they were in. How long had she been asleep? Who was still alive? And perhaps more importantly: Who was she?

Ume sniffled and then scooted to the edge of her bed. There was an IV attached to her arm which she quickly removed with only minor discomfort. A few sensors were attached her skin beneath the hospital gown, those too were discarded. No sooner had they been detached, when the infernal machines all around began sounding some sort of alarm.

"Crap... What now, Pyon?" she asked the cat.

Pyon swiftly jumped atop the window sill, it turned back to look at her once before slipping between the fluttering curtains and escaping to the outdoors. Ume stood up shakily and peered outside the window. They were a good four stories up, but her chakra reserves were high so landing should be easy. Then again, she wished she was wearing something more substantial than a hospital gown. Down below, Pyon was pacing and scowling at her. With a swish of its tail it silently urged the girl to get a move on. Ume took a steadying breath before she climbed onto the window and jumped into the gardens far below.

* * *

Sakura had her hands full. What with one pyrotechnic cat, one narrowly escaped inferno, and half the staff too frightened to go near room 507, she and Shizune were the only ones monitoring Tsunade-sama's new "arrival" 24/7. Truth be told, it wasn't terribly difficult to lug the unconscious child from c-scan to x-ray to chakra-meter machines, but on top of that there was her medical training to complete and her regular rounds at the hospital. Sakura was a skilled multi-tasker, but even she was bound to crack under the pace of her workload. Now to top it off, Shizune had been unable to check up on the patient all day and the Chunin was stuck running upstairs in between errands to see if the girl was still breathing.

"I could really use a break," she groaned as she flipped though her clipboard and tiredly filled out her reports, "if this keeps up I'll get permanent rings under my eyes..."

Just as she had signed off on the final prescription her pager rang loudly. The noise startled her and she accidentally made a pen mark across the document she'd been signing. Swearing loudly, she grabbed the cursed thing irately only to swear even louder and bolt out the door once she got a proper look at it. Patient 507 had crashed and was currently flat-lining.

She used every scrap of ninja speed within her to bolt up the stairs. With a final spurt of chakra she all but burst into the room only to be greeted by an empty bed and wailing monitors. The patient had gone... no, she had LOST the patient!

"Well this is just GREAT! Shizune is going to kill me!" Sakura yelled visibly vexed. With a swift and violent yank at the main power-cords, she silenced the alarms. "Okay, she's just a kid, she can't have gone far right?"

Suddenly a spot of blood on the window sill caught her eye. Her emerald eyes narrowed. There was no way the kid could have jumped off the fifth story window... was there? Sakura frowned before heading towards the stairs. She had at least 20 minutes to catch the kid before Shizune returned. Surely that was plenty of time for a skilled Chunin to track and retrieve a child in a hospital gown.

"She's what, seven... eight years old? How hard could it be?" she mused.

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**A/N: How hard indeed? *insert cackle here* So that's it for now! I still have no reviews which is kinda depressing as hell, but I have a subscriber! Yay for small victories! *dances* Next chap will be a little more light-hearted than these past three. I promise Lee will make an appearance... FINALLY! And Sakura will be lightly roughed up, not too much though! Just enough for it to be amusing, and who doesn't like a little cruel amusement am I right? Haha, it's funny right? Um... guys?**

***silence***

**Oy vey, I'm talking to myself... Shutting up now.**

**-Jaa!**


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